The present invention relates to safety apparatus in providing assistance for individuals experiencing an event arising from a fall at an elevated height. In particular, the invention relates to safety devices addressing hazards that occur when an individual uses a safety harness for preventing an individual from free-falling while conducting activities at an elevated height. The invention also has applicability for providing assistance to individuals experiencing a vehicular crash.
Many activities in the electrical and utility industries require an individual to work at an elevated height. A few examples of such activities include work on bridges, construction of high-rise buildings and office-building window-washing. Recreational activities also may involve an individual being positioned at an elevated height, such as hunting from a tree stand. In each of these activities, a fall arrest system such as a safety harness is used to prevent the individual from free-falling to the ground. Generally, however, an individual who has partially fallen and been retained by the safety harness nevertheless is likely to remain suspended and not automatically brought to a secure position. That is, the individual generally remains dangling until assistance arrives to bring the individual into a fully controlled position such that the individual is freed from the harness and is able to move around on his own. Frequently, the individual is alone at the activity site, especially in the hunting environment, and assistance after a fall may be delayed until somebody else actually is made aware that the individual has fallen.
Being in a suspended position while in a harness for any length of time is extremely dangerous because it severely impacts the ability of the body's circulatory system to function effectively. The straps of the harness are placed under considerable tension from the weight of the person's body causing the straps to cut off circulation and blood flow. The restriction of blood to the body's upper organs, such as the heart and brain, leads to disastrous consequences. This adverse medical phenomenon associated with being suspended in a safety harness is well-known and documented. The condition is known as suspension trauma (or harness induced pathology) and is addressed by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor. See http://osha.gov/dts/shib/shib032404.html.
Accordingly, there is a need for a safety device for use with a fall arrest harness that can provide an alert when an individual experiences a fall event while in the harness. It is further desirable that the safety device be capable of issuing a distress signal that can be sent to an appropriate recipient, such as an emergency responder, such that help can be summoned to assist the individual in being freed from the suspended state. It is further desirable that the safety device's distress signal be compatible with a telecommunication device, such as a cell phone, such that vocal communication can occur between the individual experiencing the fall event and the emergency responder.